Manila, July 8 -- Families and individuals in Northern and Central Luzon drenched by the effects of Typhoon "Bising" and the southwest monsoon or "habagat" have so far received PHP719,187 in relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), an agency official reported on Tuesday.

In a statement, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said the amount covers the 1,068 family food packs (FFPs) and emergency kits that were swiftly delivered to Bising-hit local government units (LGUs) since last week, particularly in areas hit by intense rains, flooding, and landslide incidents.

"Even when Bising was still a low-pressure area, we assured our LGUs that we will sup...